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Yokoso Japan: Fukushima City

published by hiromimasuda on Thu, 12/16/2010 - 16:08

The seat of the prefectural government of Fukushima, Fukushima CIty is one of the "Kingdom of Fruits" Ｅnjoy its magnificent scenery and famous hotsprings in the suburbs. As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 290,866 and the density of 389.68 person per km2. The total area is 746.43km2.

History

Fukushima was once called "Shinobu-no-sato", the village of Shinobu. In the 12th century SuginomeTaro built Suginome Castle and the village began to develop as a castle town surrounding Fukushima Castle. During the Edo period, Fukushima began to grow prosperous from the production of silk and its name became well-known even in Kyoto. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 a prefectural office was established in Fukushima and the Bank of Japan established an office in the city. This was the the first national bank in Tohoku Region. The city was founded on April 01, 1907.

In the city, there are many spots to visit in each season of year. In spring, you may want to climb Mt. Hanami-yama. In autumn, drive along the "skyline" road of beautiful colored leaves. You can enjoy seasonal fruits throughout the year in this " Kingdom of Fruits".

In the city, on the other hand, you can visit various spots to learn about its history. There is a museum of traditional "kokeshi", simple handmade wooden dolls that reflect the culture of the Tohoku Region, Minka-en that exhibits. "farmers" houses and other types of private houses built in the Edo Period and into the early Meiji Era, and

Haguro-jinja Shrine that is famous for the huge, twelve meter long "waraji" or straw sandal, which is dedicated every February. In addition, in the city's suburbs , there are three popular hot spring villages with different characteristics. The Iizaka-onsen has a long and distinguished history; the Tsuchiya-onsen is famous as the birthplace of the traditional "kokeshi" dolls, and the Takayu-onsen.

Let's take a walk throughout the city. The city's symbol, located at its center, is Shinobu-yama. There are many traditional temples and remains on the mountain, and from its peak at a height of 270meters, you can see over the city as well as the wonderful Azuma Mountain Range in the far distance, This is also a popular spot for night views.

Fukushima City cannot br explained without mentioning its fruit. The area connecting National Routes 13 and 115 is called the "Fruit Line"and dotted with orchards where you can pick cherries in the early summer, peaches in summer, pears and grapes in autumn, and apples on autumn to winter.

how to get there

It lies about 250km north of Tokyo and 80km south of Sendai. Although the city is located inland, the prefecture has several Pacific ports such as Onahama and Soma. Fukushima Airport is located in nearby Sukagawa.